China’s Experience in Human Rights Development

The Practice of the New development philosophy in Inner Mongolia as an Example

In today's world, mankind is faced with a number of uncertainties such as global political and economic inequalities, geopolitical instability, economic slowdown, climate change and increasing security issue in cyberspace. This has severely hindered the cause of human development and challenged the right to development as a human right as never before. On April 1st, 2022, when meeting by video with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, President Xi Jinping stressed the need to “practice true multilateralism and practice the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance”. In September 2021, when participating in the general debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly by video, President Xi Jinping proposed a people-centered, practical and focused Global Development Initiative, stressing that “development is the master key in solving all problems.” These important conclusions provide China's solutions based on the characteristics of the times and development experience for solving the difficult problems in today's world and correcting the new journey of global development.

I. Implementation of new development philosophy and achievements of Inner Mongolia

As the earliest ethnic minority autonomous region in China, Inner Mongolia has always received the care and help of the Party Central Committee. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the General Secretary Xi Jinping has been deeply concerned about the development of all ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia, and instructed Inner Mongolia to “steadily promote high-quality economic development, poverty alleviation, ethnic unity and border stability”, and put forward new requirements for Inner Mongolia to promote high-quality development through high-level opening up. The important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping to the economic, social and cultural development of Inner Mongolia are important guidelines for the region to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, promote high-quality economic development and strengthen the construction of ecological civilization, as well as to point out the direction for the high-quality development of Inner Mongolia's economy.

The autonomous region has achieved high-quality industrial transformation and upgrading, developed clean and renewable energy, and developed the service industry and tourism. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region focused on revitalizing the dairy and seed industries, adding 4.6 million mu of high-grade farmland. Grain production increased for the 18th consecutive year, and animal husbandry production was stable for the 17th consecutive year. We implemented the action to double the number of new energy sources. The scale of wind power and photovoltaic projects approved exceeded 40 million kW, and the power generated from renewable energy increased by 27.5%. We accelerated the transformation of old industries and the development of new ones, and introduced 15 leading enterprises. The manufacturing and high-tech industries grew by 11.3% and 22.4%, respectively. To promote the stabilization and improvement of the service industry, three national cultural tourism night consumption cluster areas and nine national key villages and towns for rural tourism were established. Baotou was selected as a national cultural tourism consumption pilot city.

Improving the quality of the ecosystem and achieving sustainable development. We adopted targeted policies to strengthen energy conservation and reduce consumption, gave priority to ecology and green development, resisted downward pressure on the economy, rectified and eliminated illegal “two high” projects, implemented energy consumption budget management, and lowered resource and environmental targets. We have improved the governance of key river and lake basins, such as the Yellow River and the “one lake and two seas”. Over the past ten years, Inner Mongolia has made unremitting efforts to protect the ecology, control pollution and promote transformation, creating 122 million mu of trees and planting 286 million mu of grass, and preventing and controlling desertification on an annual average of more than 12 million mu. In the past ten years, Inner Mongolia has made great efforts to develop a modern energy economy, with a total installed power capacity of 156 million kW, and the largest coal power and coal chemical industry base in China. The installed power capacity of new energy has reached 56 million kW, accounting for more than one third of the installed capacity. The power generation from new energy reached 119.1 billion KWH, ranking first in China. We fought hard to prevent and control pollution, and continued to improve the quality of air, water and soil environments. Hohhot was selected as “2021 China's Most ecologically Competitive City”, and Hinggan League successfully established the first prefecture-level practice and innovation base of “lucid rivers and lush mountains are gold and silver Mountains”. We carried out major conservation and restoration projects, completed afforestation of 5.94 million mu, planting grass of 16.67 million mu, and preventing and controlling desertification of 5.3 million mu. 133 green mines were built, and ecological services continued to improve.

Consolidate the achievements made in poverty alleviation, promote rural revitalization, and promote coordinated development between urban and rural regions. We have consolidated and expanded our achievements in poverty alleviation, comprehensively promoted rural revitalization, and eliminated the risk of 47,000 people under monitoring returning to poverty. 4,704 kilometers of roads have been constructed in rural and pastoral areas, 6,814 dilapidated houses been renovated, and 151,000 defective latrines been rectified. We deepened cooperation between Beijing and Mongolia and between Shaanxi and Mongolia, attracted 97 enterprises, invested 1.94 billion yuan in assistance, and spent more than 10 billion yuan on assistance.

Actively promote employment, implement inclusive pre-school education, and promote the development of social services for the elderly and other areas of people's livelihood. We strengthened measures to increase employment and income, creating 224,000 urban jobs, and increasing urban and rural incomes by 7.3% and 10.7%, respectively. We expanded the coverage of inclusive pre-school education and effectively implemented the policy of double reduction. The development of national compulsory education in the region basically reached a balanced state. We have promoted the construction of major epidemic treatment bases, city - and county-level disease control agencies, and health care projects for all, and improved the capacity of community-level medical and health services. We exceeded the target of expanding social security coverage, further raised standards for pensions, medical subsidies, subsistence allowances, and assistance and support for people in extreme poverty, and made solid progress in developing a system of basic senior services.

II. Inner Mongolia's practical experience in implementing new development philosophy and promoting human rights progress

In recent years, Inner Mongolia has made historic achievements in economic, social and cultural undertakings. Inner Mongolia has achieved economic development, ethnic unity, social stability, peace in the border area and prosperity of its people, making it a realistic example of promoting human rights progress with new development philosophy.

Abiding by the concept of people-centered development. The people of Inner Mongolia have always kept in mind the General Secretary's instructions and have steadfastly followed the new development philosophy and high-quality development path of giving priority to ecology and green development. Since the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Inner Mongolia twice and participated in the deliberations of the Inner Mongolia delegation at the National People's Congress for five consecutive years, urging us to take a new path of highquality development oriented by ecological priority and green development, and to build Inner Mongolia into an important ecological security barrier in the north of China, a security and stability barrier on the northern border, an important national energy and strategic resource base, an important national agricultural and livestock products production, and an important bridgehead for China's opening up to the north. The important guidelines and policies of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have pointed out the way forward for the development of Inner Mongolia in the new era, provided a fundamental guideline and injected a strong impetus. Inner Mongolia adheres to innovation-driven development in light of local conditions, combines with the supply-side structural reform, integrates epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, and co-ordinates development and security, unswervingly taking the ecological priority, green development-oriented new path of highquality development, accelerate the construction of "two barriers" "two bases ""a bridgehead", focus on safeguarding and improving people's livelihood, and maintain healthy and stable economic and social development. Inner Mongolia adheres to innovation-driven development in light of local conditions, integrates epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, integrates development with security in combination with supply-side structural reform, unswervingly follows the new path of high-quality development with ecological priority and green development as the guide, speeds up the construction of "two barriers", "two bases" and "one bridgehead", and strives to ensure and improve people's livelihood and maintain sound and steady economic and social development.

Strengthen eco-environmental protection and management and build the important ecological security barrier in the north. “A sound ecological environment is the fairest public good and the most universally beneficial to people's livelihood.”  The party committee and government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have actively practiced the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions to Inner Mongolia, especially adhering to the concept that Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets, exploring the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, water, forests, fields, lakes, grasses and sands, improving the coordination mechanism in the field of ecological civilization, implementing sustainable development strategies, building an ecological civilization system, and promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Such as realizing systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasses and sands, implementing the grass-livestock balance system, strengthening forest and grass disaster prevention and control, rectifying illegal acts of destroying grasslands and woodlands in accordance with the law, implementing protective restoration in ecologically fragile areas, and actively promoting the greening of the country and the prevention and control of sands. 

Strengthen the protection and management of the Yellow River and ecological protection and restoration and relocation of residents in beach areas as well as the standardization of wetlands in rivers and lakes, carry out ecological restoration and treatment of more than 100 mines; explore measures such as creating national ecological civilization pilot zones, nature reserves and biodiversity conservation to achieve green development in Inner Mongolia. As a result, the quality of the ecological environment in Inner Mongolia has improved year by year, and greater achievements have been made in the construction of ecological civilization.

Winning the battle against poverty has ensured the people's rights to subsistence and development in poor areas. According to General Secretary Xi Jinping, eliminating poverty, improving people’s livelihood and achieving common prosperity are essential requirements of Socialism. Before the end of 2020, there have been poverty-stricken counties in Inner Mongolia with a large number of poverty-stricken people. According to statistics, the poverty-stricken population of Inner Mongolia was reduced by 230,000 in 2018, leaving about 150,000 people in poverty. Under the leadership of the Party and the state, we should achieve poverty alleviation through all-round development. For example, the industrial poverty alleviation model through the menu type, led by enterprise or cooperative, asset income, and poverty alleviation through employment such as skill training, post development, labor cooperation and employment services, we helped 16,581 registered poor people find stable employment. On February 25, 2021, at the National Poverty Alleviation Summary and Commendation Conference, Xi Jinping solemnly declared that through the joint efforts of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in China, China has won a comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty, and all 98.99 million rural people under the current standard have been lifted out of poverty, all 832 impoverished counties have been lifted out of poverty, and all 128,000 impoverished villages have been listed. Overall poverty in the region has been resolved, and the arduous task of eradicating absolute poverty has been accomplished.

III. Global Implications of development for human rights progress

The preamble to the Declaration on the Right to Development states that the right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every person and all peoples have the right to participate in, promote and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized. The Declaration states that the right to development is not only a people-centred right, but also a comprehensive right that integrates economic, social, cultural and political development, and that it is a collection of human rights that promotes economic growth on the basis of social equity for the participation and benefit of all.

First, development for human rights progress must rely on strong leadership. The history and reality of China's development have proved and will continue to prove that upholding the overall leadership of the Communist Party of China is an important asset for China to make great progress in its development practice, and the progress of human rights in the political, economic, social and cultural fields in China cannot be achieved without the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China. The 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that the Party’s leadership should be comprehensively strengthened to ensure the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with the General Secretary at the helm of key areas, plans and directs them personally. It should uphold the Party's greatest institutional advantage of overall leadership over ecological progress, and ensure that the Party plays its role as the leadership core of overall leadership and coordination. On February 25, 2021, the General Secretary pointed out in his speech at the National Poverty Alleviation summing up Conference that the CPC Central Committee placed poverty alleviation in a prominent position in the governance of the country, took poverty alleviation as the bottom line task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, organized and launched a huge People's war on poverty alleviation, and made major historic achievements in poverty alleviation. General Secretary Xi has personally guided and promoted the construction of ecological civilization and ecological environmental protection, providing a fundamental guarantee for the construction of a beautiful China and the modernization of harmony between man and nature. Facts have proved that by adhering to the Party's overall leadership, China has realized moderate posperity, the thousand-year-old dream of the Chinese nation, won the biggest battle against poverty in human history, historically solved the problem of absolute poverty, and made a major contribution to global poverty reduction.

Secondly, we should formulate and follow scientific development systems and policies to promote the overall progress of human rights. According to the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, we have put into practice the concept of people-centered development, built the world's largest education, social security, and medical and health systems, given full play to the rigid role of institutional norms, and made continuous efforts to ensure that infants nurtured, children educated, labors paid, the sick treated, the elderly cared for, the weak supported. The people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security has become richer, more secure and more sustainable, and new progress has been made in achieving common prosperity. Comprehensively build a modern environmental governance system, implement the responsibility system of “the Party and the government share responsibilities, and one post bears both responsibilities”, and promote decisions and plans for high-quality and green development. Guided by the system and policies of scientific development, China has made great efforts to address the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development and achieve common prosperity. We are fully aware that the essence of common prosperity is human development and the common development of all people. We are committed to achieving common prosperity in an all-round way. We always take meeting the people's new expectations for a better life as the starting point and goal of development, with the well-being of the people and their sense of happiness and access as the goal of our struggle, and committed to building a common prosperity pattern of common construction and sharing. In the new era, we should uphold harmonious coexistence between man and nature, promote ecological progress, adhere to the new development philosophy, and emphasize the important value of green development. Practice has proved that China has offered more and better Chinese wisdom, solutions and strength to solve the common problems facing mankind, and made new contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind.

Finally, emphasize the importance of action to promote and ensure the implementation of legal policies. A well-constructed legal system and policies in the social, political, economic and cultural spheres are important guidelines, tools and concrete actions to promote the advancement of human rights through development. The Party and the government lead the people to achieve concrete protection of human rights through all-round development. For example, China has made great achievements in poverty alleviation and promoting human rights through development over the past 40 years of reform and opening up. Also, Inner Mongolia has made progress in economic, social and environmental aspects by practicing legal systems and policies such as “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, “green development”, “ecological civilization construction” and high-quality development. The Report to the 20th National Congress pointed out that the great achievements of the new era were made by the Party and the people together. On 21 September 2021, President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Development Initiative at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, following the action guidelines for pragmatic cooperation, taking the pulse of global development and urgent needs, putting forward cooperation visions and proposals in poverty reduction, food security, anti-epidemic and vaccine, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity as key areas of cooperation, and translates development consensus into pragmatic action. The initiative reflects the adherence to an action-oriented approach and advocates the organic unity of overarching ideas and concrete actions.

Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has systematically put forward the “people-centred development concept”, “new development concept”, “high-quality economic development” and “green development” based on China's actual situation. In practice, the Party and the state have always adhered to the concept of people-centered development, taking improving people's well-being, ensuring that they are masters of the country, and promoting well-rounded human development as the starting point and goal of development of the times, effectively guaranteeing the realization of the people's right to development, and exploring a path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics.

(The author Cheng Yanjun is associate professor and doctor of law at the College of Law, Inner Mongolia University; Wang Yehui is head of Publicity Department, Inner Mongolia University.)